This application is related to the below listed co-pending patent applications which are filed on even date herewith, are assigned to the same assignee, and are incorporated herein in their entirety by these references:
An application entitled xe2x80x9cMethod and Apparatus For Interactively Selecting Display Parameters For An Avionics Flight Displayxe2x80x9d by Sarah Barber, Norm W. Arons, and George W. Palmer;
An application entitled xe2x80x9cMethod and Apparatus For Interactively Selecting, Controlling and Displaying Parameters For An Avionics Radio Tuning Unitxe2x80x9d by George W. Palmer, Claude Eyssautier, and Matt Smith;
An application entitled xe2x80x9cMethod and Apparatus For Interactively Displaying A Route Window For A Flight Management Systemxe2x80x9d by Gary L. Owen, Sarah Barber, and George W. Palmer; and
An application entitled xe2x80x9cMethod And Apparatus For Interactively And Automatically Selecting, Controlling And Displaying Parameters For An Avionics Electronic Flight Display Systemxe2x80x9d By Matt Smith and Gary L. Owen.
The present invention generally relates to avionics, and more particularly relates to flight management systems (FMSs), and even more particularly relates to FMS displays having a graphical user interface.
In the past, designers of avionics displays and flight computer systems have endeavored to achieve a reduction in pilot workload. One area of concern has been the FMS, which typically requires a significant amount of xe2x80x9cheads-downxe2x80x9d time. This xe2x80x9cheads-downxe2x80x9d time occurs when the pi primary flight displays nor out the wind screen, but instead is focused upon a task in an oblique direction, such as when using a typical FXMS control display unit (CDU), which has an integrated keyboard and a textual display unit. One approach has been proposed in which a large multi-functional display, disposed in front of the pilot is used for both viewing FMS information, as well as data input through a cursor. In some prior art applications, a map display of the various legs of a flight is provided to the pilot, showing the waypoints, or flight leg end points, as well as other significant features, such as VOR navigation radio points, airports etc. If a pilot wishes to insert a waypoint into a particular leg of the flight, the desired waypoint would be highlighted by interaction with a cursor. Once the waypoint is selected, then the cursor is used to select the desired flight leg from a textual list of flight legs. While this method of picking a flight leg from a textual list is similar to well-known prior art methods of flight leg selection, it also has significant drawbacks.
During times of moderate and severe turbulence, otherwise very simple tasks can become difficult and time consuming. For example, the step of requiring a pilot to reposition the cursor to select a flight leg from a textual list of flight legs may require considerable time. Additionally, during take-off and approach, the workload on a pilot can already be extreme, leaving the pilot with little or no time to spare. This additional effort, at an already busy time, is quite undesirable.
Consequently, there exists a need for improved methods and apparatuses for effecting the selection of flight legs into which waypoints can be inserted into a flight plan in a flight management system.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved avionics FMS.
It is a feature of the present invention to include an automatic leg selection feature.
It is another feature of the present invention to include a leg selection feature which is accomplished through a graphical selection of a waypoint on an FMS map.
It is an advantage of the present invention to reduce pilot workload.
The present invention is an apparatus and method for selecting a flight plan leg into which a new waypoint can be inserted, which is designed to satisfy the aforementioned needs, provide the previously stated objects, include the above-listed features, and achieve the already articulated advantages. The present invention is carried out in a xe2x80x9ctextual list-lessxe2x80x9d manher in a sense that the undesirable requirement to select a flight plan leg from a textual list has been eliminated for this insert operation.
Accordingly, the present invention is an avionics FMS display having a graphical flight plan leg selection feature which includes an automatic leg suggestion feature.